I Spy
by beingthedifferentme
Summary: Lucy was sent to Fairy Tail to find the man who killed her parents. Natsu was sent to Fairy Tail to find the man who kidnapped his father. When they met, it just felt...right. But being a spy makes everything more complicated. They were both faced with heart-breaking decisions and revelations. Making it through unscathed? Impossible. Devastation was their future. NaLu.
1. New Mission

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter One

I ran the laps with little effort, occasionally jumping over a hurtle or two. Then, on to the vertical wall. I scrambled up like lightning, and jumped down on the other side, taking only a second to catch my breath. I was running again, right into my instructors, all armed with blades or bullets. I dodged a couple bullets before I reached the first person. Quickly disarming her, I took her knife and used it to shield fro the bullets, while I ran to the next instructor, knocked him out, and took his gun. I shoot each of the other instructors with one of the tranquilizer bullets and ran right past, to the finish. I was first, again. It was getting kinda annoying.

The speakers blared around me,_"Lucy Heartfilia! Report to the office immediately! I repeat! Lucy Heartfilia report to the office immediately!"_ The voice shut off, and I headed towards the school building, unscathed from their little "obstacle course". Please, I could do that thing in my sleep. Oh, wait, I _did_.

I walked into the office, not even bothering to explain to the lady at the front desk why I was there. They all knew who I was, Lucy Heartfilia, the greatest prodigy the academy'd ever seen. Ya-da, ya-da, it was basically a bunch of bullshit that they wouldn't stop going on about since I scored perfectly on my entrance exam. I may or may not be the only person in history to ever do that….

I opened the door to the headmaster's office and plopped myself down in a chair without greeting him. No point in beating around the bush, right?

"Why am I here? Another mission?" I asked, slightly annoyed that they were taking me out of school again, but still proud that they chose me.

"As a matter of fact, yes," he said as he sipped his coffee.

"So? Are you going to tell me what I have to do?" I'm a pretty impatient person when it comes to these things. I mean, they tend to be somewhat serious, so why waste time with formalities? Just spit it out already!

"You'll be going undercover."

"Yeah, ok, that's nothing out of the ordinary. Just get on with it!" By this time, I was standing with my hands planted firmly on his desk.

He took a deep breath before saying,"You'll be going undercover in a high school called Fairy Tail Academy."

"WHAT?" My mind was pulsing with anger, and I'm sure he could see the fire in my eyes. Whenever we were given a job at a high school, it tended to be stupid (like being a bodyguard for someone in witness protection, which was soooo boring) so we gave these jobs to other students. Any other students. Just not me. What the hell?

"Calm down, Ms. Heartfilia. There is a very good reason that you're the one on this case."

I sat back down in my chair, still glaring at him. "And what would that be?"

"Well, we just thought that you would want to be put on this case. Not to mention that you're the only person that might pull it off."

My anger was rising again. "And why would I want to be on this case?" I said through gritted teeth,

"Well, um, uh," he stammered, so I gave him another death glare. "We think it has something to do with the man that killed your parents," he blurted.

My heart dropped, my mind numbed, and all I could feel was a stabbing pain in my chest. This was _not _happening.

* * *

"Are you okay, Lu?" Levy asked when I dramatically plopped down on the couch in our dorm room.

"No, not really."

"What's up?" Levy was seated at her desk, reading, but she turned her chair to face me.

"It's just…" I sighed. "They want me to go on mission about the guy who killed my parents."

Levy gave me a sympathetic look. "Well, on the bright side, you get revenge?" she tried. "And anyways, you could always turn the offer down."

"No, I'll do it. And, I mean, I do want revenge and all, but…"

"It's okay, I get it." Levy walked over and sat next to me for support.

"But it just brings up too many memories, you know?" I blushed as I realized that was the first time I'd ever actually opened up to Levy, even though she was my best friend. So, I covered my tracks,"Really, though, I just think a job at a high school is boring. I mean, nothing ever happens at high schools!" I faked a short laugh before standing up and leaving. I knew Levy had seen through my facade and I didn't feel like facing her at the moment.

I walked all the way to the lake on the far side of campus. It was my favorite place to be. The moon and stars were reflecting on the water and I started crying as I thought about my mother.

* * *

_"Lucy Heartfilia to the office! Lucy Heartfilia to the office!"_ Are you kidding me? Again?

"What do you want this time?" I said as I entered the headmaster's office for the second time that week. When I looked around, I noticed that it wasn't just us that time. Sting and Levy were there, too. I smiled at Levy, and waved slightly at Sting. It was no secret that he'd loved me since he'd transferred in fifth grade, and I was starting to like him, too. But, I was still very open to other options, something about Sting just didn't seem quite...right.

"Well, Ms. Heartfilia, I understand your feelings about this mission, but I am confident that you are the only person in this whole facility who can bring him in."

"Hey!" Sting and Levy said in unison.

The headmaster just waved them off. "But, I believe that you will need the support of your friends for this job. So, Ms. McGarden and Mr. Eucliffe will accompany you." This time, Levy and Sting smiled at me. "So," the headmaster said,"will you take the mission?"

I couldn't let all of them down. "Yes," I sighed, not wanting to know what I'd gotten myself into.

* * *

**How did you like it? This is my second story, and I'm really excited about writing it. (My first one was called Fruit Girl, if you're wondering...) Anyways, please review or PM me with any questions or comments. Don't worry this is a NaLu story, and they will meet very soon. So...yeah! Review, and read my next chapter when it comes out! (You know, if you want to.)**


	2. He's hot

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter Two

"Ms. Heartfilia! Ms. Heartfilia!" The voice jolted me back from my thoughts. I was in the principle's office of Fairy Tail Academy (10x12 feet with a ceiling about 8ft high, the walls a dull beige and the desk taking up a full 6 square feet).

"Yes?" I said to the little white haired man sitting at the desk. He looked to be in his fifties, but his job left him with lots of worry lines.

He sighed. "As I was saying, _Ms. Heartfilia, _I have been informed of your...situation, and I do not believe it should conflict with our everyday life. If it does, then I will have to ask you to leave, got it? These students are here to learn, and I will not take a disruption to their education lightly." He popped a smile on his face, probably relieved to have gotten the logistics over. "That said, I hope you enjoy your time here at Fairy Tail! We are a family, and I'm sure you will find it to your liking."

Sting, Levy, and I filed out of the office and stopped by the front desk to pick up our dorm keys and schedules. A beautiful woman with white hair and bright blue eyes greeted us.

"What can I do for you?" she asked sweetly. I looked her up and down (she was about 5'4", well endowed, and slim-her waist was approximately 21 inches around).

"Hi," I said as nicely as possible. "We're new here, so we need room keys and schedules."

She smiled at me, and it reached her eyes, so I knew it was genuine. "In that case, my name is Mirajane, but you can call me Mira. I'll be right back with your keys and schedules, just give me a second."

When Mira reappeared from the back room, she had papers and envelopes in her hands. "Here," she said, handing us the items. "I'm not really sure who is who, so you can sort that out for yourselves. It's all labeled, so it shouldn't be hard."

"Thanks, Mira!" Levy piped up.

"No problem…?" Mira looked at Levy questioningly, since she didn't know her name.

"I'm Levy." Then Levy turned to me. "And this is Lucy." She switched and turned to Gray. "That's Sting."

Mira clapped her hands together to the side of her face and smiled. "Oh! Well, if you need anything else Levy, Lucy and Sting, then you know where to find me!"

We thanked Mira again and decided to walk around campus a bit. There were five buildings, two dorms, the main school building, the gym, and the library. There was a quad in the middle with a fountain with a sculpture of a young-looking girl with no shoes on. Looking around, there were many students walking and talking, or sitting on the quad with their friends. It made sense, since it was Saturday and classes were out.

"Watch out!" someone yelled in my direction. I calmly stepped out of the path of a flying frisbee and grabbed it in my hand when it reached me.

A boy with strange pink hair, tan skin, onyx eyes (he was about 6'2" with serious abs that I could make out through his t-shirt) came jogging up to me. "Sorry about that, but, I mean, you were pretty cool. Not many people could dodge a frisbee, catch it, and stay all calm like that. Teach me!" I felt my cheeks get hot from his complement, not to mention that he was really hot. He gave me this big goofy grin that made me blush even more.

"Thanks," I said. It was all I could come up with because his hotness was distracting me.

"I don't think I've seen you around campus before. Are you new?"

"Yeah, we-" I looked over to where Sting and Levy _were, _but it looked like they'd left me. "Yeah, I am."

"Cool! Do you want me to show you around a bit? I know it's all a bit overwhelming at first, huh?"

"Sure, thanks…?" I realized that I didn't know his name.

"Natsu. It means summer in Japanese. Pretty cool, huh?" He gave me that goofy grin again, and it was contagious. I found myself smiling more than I had in my whole life.

"My name's Lucy. It's nice to meet you, Natsu," I said, trying to be polite, since I had no intention of making enemies at this school.

"Loosen up, Luce! We're friends, right?" He put his arm over my shoulders and led me around the quad pointing out different cliques and various social groups. I blushed the whole time, not able to take in my normal amount of facts due to his arm on my shoulders.

"So, that concludes our tour!" he said after we went through the library, gym, and main school building. "Oh, I almost forgot! Do you want me to help you find your dorm room?" He was so sweet.

"No thanks, I think I do that myself. See you later, Natsu." I started walking away when I felt someone grab my wrist from behind. I turned to see Natsu looking intensely into my eyes. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pen, scribbling a string of numbers on the back of me hand before winking at me and walking away. His phone number.

I walked over to the girls' dorm and swiped my ID card in front of the scanner to open the door. It clicked when it closed behind me, and I sighed in delight as my body adjusted to the air conditioning.

I took the stairs, thinking about how I could use the workout, even though I my room was only on the third floor.

"Room 316," I mumbled to myself as I scanned the numbers next to every door in the hall. "Finally," I exclaimed as I found my room. I pulled out the key ring that I always kept on my hip and picked out the room key I'd already fastened on.

The door swung open and I looked in to see a loft bed (slept on, but tidy) and a full bed on the floor, along with two desks, dressers, a TV and a couch. My luggage was sitting on the full bed, so I thought I would start unpacking while I waited for my new roommate to show up.

* * *

"Don't they know not to open the door? They're so stupid!" I screamed at the movie I was watching with my roommate, Erza. She had arrived shortly after I finished putting my things away, and we immediately hit it off. Long story short, we found out that we both love yelling at actors in horror movies, so we thought we'd watch one together, and throw popcorn at the screen.

"I know!" the redhead yelled. "I mean, have some common sense, people!" I laughed at how Erza's voice changed on the last part. She wasn't as intimidating as she first seemed. Well, I mean, I wasn't really scared since I'm a trained spy and all, but I could see that other people would cower in fear before they go the chance to know her.

There was a knock at the door so I paused the movie and walked over to see who it was. The second I opened the door, two boys came crashing through, and a flash of pink hair caught my hair, Natsu.

The boys plopped down on the couch next to Erza and a vein popped on her forehead as she started to lecture them on how to politely enter a room. Natsu wasn't really paying attention, so his gaze wandered over to me.

"Luce! I didn't know you were going to be roommates with Erza!" I blushed at the nickname. I vowed to myself to only let Natsu use it.

"Yeah, neither did I," I replied, trying to stay calm under his gaze.

"Well, that's great cuz it means we'll be seeing a lot of each other! Erza's a good friend of me and Gray here," he said as he pointed over to the other boy with dark raven colored hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and I blushed at the sight of his abs.

"Gray and me, Natsu. Use proper grammar!" Erza hit him upside the head for affect.

"Hey!" Natsu groaned.

I let out a little laugh and they all turned to me. I got a little scared, thinking that my giggle was inappropriate and had offended them somehow. But then they started laughing too, and soon we were all on the floor holding our stomachs.

I looked over at the clock, to see that it read _11:46. _"You guys should probably get back to your own room," I said, looking over at Natsu and Gray. "Wouldn't want to get in trouble for being the girls' dorms late, right?"

The boys instantly scrambled up from their places on the floor and headed to the door. Right before they left, Natsu winked and said,"Night, Luce." I blushed, of course.

Pulling on my pajamas, I couldn't stop thinking about Natsu and how cute he was. I climbed into bed and sighed in happiness. _Maybe he will be my first boyfriend_, I thought to myself. Wait, what? Oh well, I was probably just tired, right?

* * *

**Chapter two, huh? How was it? I wrote it in about a half hour, so sorry if it's not my best. Thank you so much for reading, and thanks so much to Lucy. the. heartbreaker for my first review! I love reviews so much, because I love to see what people think about my stories, good or bad. Plus, who doesn't love reviews? Anyway, you can review or PM me with questions/comments, and keep reading!**


	3. Another spy on campus

**I Spy**

**NATSU**

Chapter Three

I felt someone poke me in the side, so I responded with a,"Five more minutes!" I came to my senses as people started laughing around me, and I blushed as I realized I'd fallen asleep in class. I'd been up all night thinking about Lucy. She was just so...perfect. But there was something off about her. _She couldn't be…? No, that wouldn't make any sense_, I thought to myself.

"Mr. Dragneel, would you care to solve?" Mr. Lee said as he pointed behind him to the blackboard with an equation written on it. I was standing there, mortified about what I should do. I had know idea what the answer was, and I guess Lucy noticed when she hopped up from her seat, went over to the board, and solved before I had a chance.

"Ms. Heartfilia, I understand that you are new here, but at Fairy Tail Academy, we raise our hands before we ask or answer questions," Mr. Lee scolded.

Lucy was completely calm as she replied innocently,"But Natsu didn't raise his hand to solve the equation?" The class erupted in laughter and "Go New Girl!"s. I found myself smiling at her, as she turned around to face me and she...winked? I guess I'd misjudged her personality. I thought she was just another sweet nerd that would sit quietly in class, reading her book, but I guess not. I found myself blushing when she age me a weird look and I noticed that I was staring.

Quickly looking away, I heard her giggle and stand up from her chair.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" she asked as sweetly as possible. Gosh, she could be such a devil.

I avoided looking her in the eyes as I said,"What? I'm fine. Completely fine." Yeah, okay, maybe not the most convincing answer.

I heard her giggle again and found myself loving the sound of her laugh and the way her eyes lit up when she laughed. She was...beautiful. No! No, I couldn't be thinking those things. She was going to ruin everything if I wasn't careful. I always lose my focus too easily, and I'd been doing so well, too!

I peeked over at Lucy, and this time she was the one staring at me. Just like me, he blushed when she was caught, but before I could call her out on it, the bell rang throughout the halls.

"See you later!" Lucy said smugly as she walked out of the classroom. It was our last class of the day, so unless I bumped into her or went over to her dorm room again, there would be no chance to tease her about her staring. _Oh well, _I thought to myself, _I'm not as cruel as her anyway._

I packed up my books and followed Lucy out the door, but she was already gone. Sighing to myself, I started the short trek back to the boys' dorm. I shared a room with Gray. Although he and I were rivals and all, we went way back.

When I opened the door to my room, I found Gray sitting on the couch with some guy playing video games. The new guy had spiked blonde hair, not unlike my own salmon hair, and bright blue eyes. He and Gray seemed to be close enough, but that guy must've been new, since I new every face on campus, and I'd never seen him before.

"Hey," I said hesitantly, waiting for some sort of introduction or explanation.

"Oh, hey," Gray said, still engrossed in Grand Theft Auto 3, or something.

The new kid looked over at me and smiled. "Hi, I'm Sting, I'm new here."

Something clicked in my head and I realized that he must've come with Lucy, since they both started on the same day. Otherwise it was just a really weird coincidence.

"Natsu. Do you, um, happen to know a girl named Lucy?"

Sting's eyes lit up, and I could tell he cared deeply for her, but then they kind of clouded over for some reason. "Yeah, we're childhood friends. How do you know her?" he asked skeptically.

"Oh, I just met her yesterday, and showed her around campus. And then I came to her dorm and she, Gray, Erza and I watched horror movies." I smiled, cherishing the fact that this seemed to be news to him. I didn't know why, but I was jealous of the fact that this guy new Lucy better than me.

"Yeah, she didn't mention you. Like, at all." Sting stole my trademark smile and threw it right back in my face. I felt a pain in my chest when I heard the words.

So, I covered myself. "Oh, I'm not too worried about that. We've basically been talking nonstop since we met. We have a bunch of classes together, and I gave her my number." Sting's eyes widened and looked at him like I was some sort of god looking down on a lowly commoner. I had won that backhanded argument.

"Whatever," Sting said as he retreated back to his video games.

I figured that it was probably a good idea to take a walk, since the two idiots in my room were making a ton of noise, and I didn't really care to be around that Sting guy.

I walked on a narrow dirt path that went through the park around a small lake on the grounds of the academy. I stopped when I reached my favorite spot on campus. It was a tree hanging low over the water, but if you were careful, you could sit on it and it was a great place to think or listen to music.

I pulled out my iPhone and earbuds and started listening to some Fall Out Boy. They were one of my current favorite bands. I was also into Panic! At the Disco, and Imagine Dragons. Well, technically, Imagine Dragons was my favorite band of time. They just never fell short of my expectations.

To be honest, I hadn't been on campus for much longer than Lucy, but I had already fallen in love with it. The whole school was on big family, and it really appealed to me, being an orphan and all. Actually, I didn't know who my parents were, but I had an adopted father, Igneel. The only problem was, he abandoned me at a young age, so I had to find a new place to live.

"Yes, I know, I know. I'm focused! Hey, I took this mission as a favor for you!"

I took out my earbuds and shut off my music when I heard someone walking by and talking on their phone. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was Luce. And...mission?

"I mean, yeah, I want to kill him too, but it's all just so…. Yeah. Uh-huh. Okay, okay. Got it. Hey, I'm the best spy in the whole school, don't doubt me!" She laughed into the receiver. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, so I'll report to you when I have news. Bye."

She just kept walking away from me, and I couldn't fully process what had just happened. Then, I took out my phone and dialed.

"No, I don't have anything new. Well, at least not directly concerning the target." I took a deep breath before I said,"There's another spy here."\

* * *

**Oh. My. Gosh. Our little trio isn't the only group of spies on the campus of Fairy Tail Academy. This is getting pretty interesting, if I must say so myself. What do you think Natsu will do now that he knows that Lucy's a spy? What if he's ordered to eliminate her? Or maybe they'll work together to kill the man who murdered Lucy's parents. Or maybe Natsu's on another case altogether? Who knows? Please leave reviews if you have any comments and keep reading!**


	4. First kiss

**I Spy**

**NATSU**

Chapter Four

"There's another spy here."

I waited anxiously for the reply on the other end, but it seemed like forever before it came.

"Mr. Dragneel." The person on the other side was Mrs. Ganes, the head of my _actual _school, where I trained to be a spy.

"Yes?" I said nervously. I mean, as much as I didn't want another spy to botch my mission, I also like Lucy, and I dreaded the words that came next.

"Just continue with your mission as planned, and do not notify her." Or so I thought.  
That was the best care scenario, but I was kinda confused. In a normal situation they would've quickly told me to take her down, and then continue the mission. Weird.

"Uh, okay," I said, not trying to hide the wonder in my voice.

Then the line went dead, and I carefully climbed off of the tree, so as not to fall into the water. When I looked, Lucy was only about twenty or thirty feet in front of me, I could still catch up.

Following after her, I listened to her new phone conversation with my amazing hearing. I guess after she hung up before, she dialed someone else.

"So, any ideas who I'm looking for, Stephen?" Knowing that she was a spy, I guessed that Stephen was her fact-guy. You know, the one in all those movies that stays behind at headquarters and uses their computer to figure things out.

There was a muffled reply on the other hand, but my hearing wasn't _quite _that good.

"A-are you sure?" Something in her voice told me that she was a little nervous. Maybe her target was someone she liked here. Maybe her target was me? No, if there was any chance of that, Mrs. Ganes would've told me to eliminate her. But, how could Mrs. Ganes possibly know that she wasn't after me?

Lucy sighed as she put her phone in her back pocket and kept walking towards a small stone bridge. She leaned against the edge and gazed sadly into the water.

By the time I got the courage up to go talk to her, the stars had already come out.

I started walking over, but then I noticed that she was saying something to herself.

"Mama, Papa, I hope this is all over soon. I'm sorry this job is so hard for me. I want revenge, I really do, but…. I don't know. I guess, I just…." She sighed. "I guess I'm just scared to meet him, you know? You guys were the best in the business, and…" she trailed off.

I tapped her on the shoulder when she finished her monologue.

Lucy jumped and whipped around as fast as she could, which was pretty fast.

"What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously. That girl could not loosen up. Then again, I was an enemy spy, so I guess she had every right to be careful around me, not that she knew I was a spy. Right?

"I was just taking a walk, and I saw you here, so I thought I'd say,'Hi.'" I tried to sound innocent.

"Okay," she said hesitantly, still questioning my motives. Just as she said that, it occurred to me what had bothered me about her since day one. I tried to brush it off, but there was always something off about her. There was always that feeling that someone was watching you when she was around. And, of course, that's because there was. I saw her eyes silently calculating me, my strength, and just about everything else, so I came to the conclusion that I would never be able to keep a secret from this girl, which leads me to what she said next.

"What do you need to say to me?" she said all, matter-of-fact.

"What makes you think I have something to say to you?" I attempted to cover.

"Well, for one, your palms are a bit clammy, and your brow is glistening. Also, you can't sit still and-"

I cut her off as I realized everything she said was true. "Yeah, okay, I get it."

"So?" she asked after a while.

"So?" I parroted, confused as so what she was waiting for.

"Are you going to tell me what you need to say?" She was getting slightly impatient, and I could hear it in her voice.

"Oh, yeah, um, I just, uh…" I didn't know what to say! My eyes wandered around the scenery, trying to come up with a convincing lie.

"I know you're trying to come up with a lie, so just spit out the truth already." Now she sounded slightly bored with me and this conversation.

"I, uh, needed to say that, um…" I could feel the sweat run down my back as she held my gaze, and I had nothing to say.

"Well?" Lucy started tapping her foot, not a good sign. Well, in this case, maybe it was, since it would be so much easier if she just left, but I didn't want her to think I was weird either.

"just tell me already!" she yelled.

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Go out with me!" I smiled to myself, _yeah, that was a pretty good lie. _Then, _wait, WHAT DID I JUST SAY! _A furious blush coating my cheeks.

Lucy just stood there. SHE. JUST. STOOD. THERE. I found myself silently begging her to say something, anything. But, honestly, I found myself begging her to say yes.

"I, Natsu. I, um…" She was at a loss for words!

I looked at her expectantly, just to taunt her.

"Yvmbl," she mumbled so quietly that even I couldn't make out what she'd said.

"Come again?" I teased, regaining my confidence, after blurting out that I loved a girl I'd just met.

Lucy took a deep breath. "Yes." Now her cheeks were red, and she couldn't look me in the eye.

My eyes widened in shock, and I forgot to breathe. She, she said yes? SHE SAID YES! For some reason, I couldn't help but smile.

Lucy finally met my eyes, and she smiled too.

I took the opportunity to lean forward, and...kiss her! Every time our lips touched, I felt a pulse of electricity rush through my veins, giving me a buzz. Her lips were so soft. It was a short kiss, but it was a good start. I mean, we'd only just met, so I guess we both figured we'd take things slow.

"So, um, bye," I said as I backed away from Lucy, and turned towards my dorm.

* * *

I lay on my bed that, thinking about the past day, but mostly of Lucy and how her lips felt. I thought about how she was a spy and wondered what agency she was from. Then, just before I drifted into sleep, I realized something. How did Mrs. Ganes know that Lucy was a her?

* * *

**How _did _Mrs. Ganes know that Lucy was a girl? (If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back to the beginning of the chapter and read her convo with Natsu.) Who is Natsu's target? Does Lucy really like Natsu back, or is she just playing her part to fit in as a spy? What about Natsu? It's not like he meant to ask her out. Or did he? *Maniacal laugh* I know the answer to all of these questions, but you'll just have to wait and read. Anyways, please PM me or review with questions or comments, and please keep reading!**


	5. Lots of questions, zero answers

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter Five

"So, anything?" I asked, sitting around a table with Levy and Sting.

They both confirmed my suspicions by saying that they hadn't found anything. We'd already been at Fairy Tale for two weeks! We were the best team at Washington Academy of Excellence, our real school and underground training center for future FBI and CIA agents.

"That's it," I decided," I'm going calling the headmaster."

Levy and Sting gave me wary looks.

"I don't know if that's the best idea, Lu," Levy said cautiously.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it's nothing, really. This guy's just really good, right? I mean, he kil-"

"Sting, stop," Levy interjected.

I could feel tears well up in my eyes. He was right, this guy just had to be really good. What was I thinking? The guy to kill my parents had to be this good. Otherwise, it would mean my parents weren't as good as I thought, and that just couldn't be true. But, I still needed some kind of guidance on this mission. I may have been a prodigy, but that didn't mean I could pull rabbits out of hats.

I took a deep, shaky breath before I said,"I'm still calling him. I don't care what he thinks about it, he needs to tell us more. Otherwise, there was no point in sending us here, it's not like after two weeks something's just going to show up, you know? The headmaster's got to have something he's keeping from us, or else he never would've sent us here, it would be a lost cause. There must've been a reason…" I trailed off in thought.

"Lucy! Earth to Lucy!" Sting was snapping his fingers in front of my face. I blinked a couple of times before I realized I'd started staring off into space.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

Levy gave me a concerned look, but I just faked a smile to make her feel better. Honestly, smiling was the last thing I wanted to do. I was on a mission to avenge my parents' deaths and I couldn't find a thing on their killer. Nothing. Notta.

"Well, I think that ends today's meeting." I tried to sound as composed and formal as possible. This was a job, after all. "Why don't we regroup in three days to compare notes again?" Levy and Sting nodded before we each walked through the door and turned our separate ways.

I was walking and thinking when I head someone calling my name. Or, my nickname, rather. It could only be one person.

"Luce! Hey, Luce! Wait up!" I could hear him run up behind me, and he was panting slightly as he reached where I was waiting for him. "Jeez, you walk fast," he exhaled, hands on his knees. He looked up at me and smiled, and I could feel the blush forming on my cheeks. Subconsciously, I put a hand up to my face to try and cool it down, but it was futile. For some reason, whenever I was with Natsu, I couldn't help but smile and blush a little. Well, he was my boyfriend, right?

I'll admit that I was very surprised when he asked me out, and I still don't think that was what he was trying to keep from me that night, but oh well. I figured he'd tell me when he was ready. Anyway, when he asked me, I didn't know what to do. All reason told me that it was a bad idea, that he would just get in the way. But, there was a little voice in the back of my head telling me to accept his offer, and go out with Natsu, what would be the harm? Reason tried to squash that voice, but it came up with reason of it's own. It told me that Natsu would be a good cover, that he would make me seem like even more of a normal teenager. And, if I really thought it was a bad idea, I could always just break up with him. So, I accepted and we'd been dating for about a week.

"Hey, Natsu," I greeted, proud of how steady my voice was.

"Hey, Luce," he returned as he gave me a peck on the lips. My blush continued to grow, and I could even see one on Natsu's face. Maybe it was contagious.

"So, how's life?" We were walking down the hallway that was open on one side to the quad, the grass just feet away. Three feet, to be exact.

"Better now that you're here." Damn. That boy knew how to make me flustered. He chucked when he saw my exasperated expression, which, of course, just made me blush even more. Darn that Natsu Dragneel. I felt like all my dignity had been thrown out the window. I was exposed, and for the first time in my life, I couldn't hide behind facts, statistics, combat skills, or scores on an entrance exam. Natsu was the first person to see me...for me.

"Th-thanks." I cleared my throat before I attempted another conversation-starter. "I like that shirt on you."

It was his time to be uncomfortable, so I decided I'd play with him for a minute. I walked in front of him, forcing him to stop, stood on my tip-toes, put my arms around his neck, and positioned my head so that when I talked, my lips would just graze his cheek.

"It makes you look hot," I whispered. Natsu grabbed me by the waist and started kissing jaw, tracing all the way down my neck and back up again, until our lips met at last. The kiss was passionate, and pleading, like he was trying to convey some message that he couldn't get across any other way. The world around us had faded away, and it seemed like we were the only two people in existence. For that short time, I forgot about my parents' death, the man who killed them, and my mission. For that short time, I was a normal teenager, with a normal boyfriend, kissing him at school. It was all so beautifully normal.

We pulled away only when we couldn't hold our breath any longer. Our foreheads were still touching, and Natsu's arms were still around my waist, when he smiled down at me and said,"Come on."

I didn't complain or ask questions, I just let him lead me down a couple of hallways and past a couple people until we stopped at a door that looked just like the one to my dorm. Except, it wasn't my dorm on the other side of the seven by four foot piece of wood, it was Natsu's. Natsu's room.

I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest as I spoke. "N-Natsu, I don't think I'm read-"

He cut me off with a kiss, and I found myself sinking in to him, like we were two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly. Natsu brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear as he whispered,"Don't worry, we won't go too far."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up when we walked into his dorm room. It was so...Natsu. One whole side was red and black. There were dragons all over, and I could see Natsu scratch the back of his head in embarrassment from the side of my vision.

"I, um, have this thing about dragons. I mean, I've just loved them since I was a kid, and-" Natsu blurted.

I started giggling, which soon turned into full on laughter, and I was clutching my stomach for lack of air.

"Wh-what's so funny?" he asked, like a child left out on an inside joke. Then again, I guess he kinda was.

"Nothing, nothing," I said, regaining my composure. "I just think it's really cute."

Natsu's face turned as red as Erza's hair. He turned away to avoid my gaze, but I could tell he was happy that I thought he was cute. And, weirdly, I could tell that I was happy about it, too. Maybe I'd really started liking Natsu. No, I couldn't let that happen. I mean, what if he got in the middle of things and he got hurt? I would never forgive myself.

* * *

Natsu and I had ended up watching a chick-flick (I won the coin toss), eating popcorn, and possibly making out a couple of times.

By the time I made it back to my dorm, it was already dark outside. Oddly, Erza wasn't there. She was usually always back in our room before me, since she was a stickler for the rules and wouldn't think of missing curfew. Huh.

I let myself fall back onto my bed, lost in thought about what to do with my mission. My mission! I suddenly remembered that I'd meant to call the headmaster. Well, then was as good a time as ever, so I dialed.

"Ms. Heartfilia?" he answered.

"Yeah, hi. So, um, what should I do abou-"

The headmaster interrupted me before I could finish my sentence. "Don't worry, we've got him handled. Just go on with your mission, the other spy won't be bothering you."

Other spy? The fuck? How had I not realized that there was another spy on campus! More importantly, how did the headmaster know that there was another spy on campus?

"Um, yeah. He hasn't done anything to make me believe he'd interfere with my mission." I tried my best to goad the headmaster into revealing who the other spy was.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad Mr. Dragneel is staying out of your way."

Dragneel? As in, NATSU DRAGNEEL? I almost dropped my phone, but somehow managed to keep calm enough to say goodbye and hang up.

Natsu. A spy. It all made sense. The other night, he'd probably been keeping that from me. He'd known for a week! Shit. It must've been when I was walking in the park! I knew he'd been trailing me a lot longer than he claimed.

I sighed as I waited for my tiredness to settle in. Sleep never came.

* * *

**So there was a NaLu moment worked in there ;) Hope you liked it. What do you think Lucy will do now that she knows Natsu's a spy. Will she confront him? Or will she feign ignorance? How did the headmaster know about Natsu? Why can't Lucy and her friends come up with anything on her parents' killer? I've got quite a few things in the works here, and I hope it all comes together nicely. Please review or PM me with any constructive ****criticism (I could really use it), suggestions, questions and/or comments. I love you guys, and thank you so much for reading!**


	6. I know you're a spy

**It was brought to my attention that the whole relationship between Lucy and Natsu is getting kind of confusing (thank you to the person who told me), so here are a few things to clarify:**

**-Natsu accidentally blurted out "Go out with me!" to Lucy, because subconsciously he actually did want to go out with Lucy. Now, though, he figures that going out with her will help him on his mission, anyway.**

**-When Natsu asked her, Lucy's logical side kicked in and told her not to go out with him, and that he'd probably just blurted that out to cover up for something else. But, there was something else (you can assume that it was her heart) telling her that she should go out with him. That very "something else" then convinced Lucy to go out with Natsu by arguing that it would help her cover story.**

**-Neither of them have really admitted to themselves that they like the other, but deep down, they know it.**

**I'm sorry I made it so confusing, and I hope this helps.**

* * *

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter Six

"Natsu, we need to talk!" I said, grabbing the pinkette by the arm and dragging him into an empty classroom.

I closed and locked the door before turning back to him. His eyes showed a mixture of fear confusion and...excitement? Boys.

"What's up, Luce?" Natsu tried to sound all cool, but it came out a little shaky. I struggled to keep in a laugh.

I took a deep breath before getting right to the point. "Natsu, I know you're a spy. And I know that you know that I'm a spy."

I'd thought a lot about what I should do the night before, and resolved that this was the best option.

Natsu's eyes widened as he registered what I'd told him. His arm moved to touch me, but recoiled soon after. I felt a pang of hurt in my chest.

Regaining his composure, Natsu cleared his throat. "So, how'd you figure it out?"

That's what he cared about? Seriously? BOYS.

"That's just the thing," I started, actually kind of grateful for Natsu's boyish obliviousness, because it gave me a great transition. "My...boss let it slip. And he told me not to worry about you." I'm not really sure why I didn't just tell him that I went to a spy school. I guess I figured that I shouldn't tell him too much, just in case. Then again, I'd probably already told him too much already.

"Wait, your boss told you?" Natsu's eyes gleamed like he was on the verge of a great discovery. In a way, he was. He was fitting all the pieces together.

"Well, technically, my boss thought I already knew, so when I called him about something else, he just took over the conversation assuming I was calling about you."

The fear from earlier returned to Natsu's eyes, but it had a different tint to it.

"What?" I asked, annoyed that he wouldn't just tell me. That boy sure had a hard time just getting his words out.

"When I first figured out you were a spy, I called my...boss." Here I picked up that he probably went to a spy school, too. Otherwise he wouldn't have hesitated to call his boss his boss. His "boss" must've been his headmaster or headmistress, just like me.

I figured that this made us about even, so I dropped my own cover-up.

"Natsu, it's okay, I know you go to a spy school. So do I. You can just call your 'boss' your head…" I decided to let him fill in that blank. I had no idea whether the person who ran his school was male or female, and I wasn't in the mood to offend strangers.

Natsu sighed after I saw his face turn in shock. "So, I called my _headmaster_, and told him that there was another spy on campus. But, I didn't tell him your name or gender. Plus, he told me to just go on my mission like normal."

I rolled my eyes, he was such an amateur. Honestly, it was common sense that those were the two most important things to tell to your headmaster or boss or whatever.

"So…?" I wasn't really sure where Natsu was going with his story, but something told me it was similar to mine.

"_So, _he knew you were a girl. He called you 'her'! How could he possibly know that?"

My stomach dropped. There it was. Both of our headmasters somehow knew about all of this. They were keeping something from us.

"So my headmaster knew your name and that you're a spy, and your headmaster most likely knows the same about me?"

"Um, yeah, I guess," Natsu sighed. I guessed he was probably as frustrated with the situation as me.

"How could they-" I stopped when I realized something. No, it couldn't be. Right?

"Luce?" Natsu looked over at me with a concerned gaze.

"They're working together," I whispered, mostly to myself, but I could tell Natsu heard from the look on his face.

…

"Lucy, this better be good," Sting said as he walked through the door of my dorm room. Inside already were Natsu, Erza, Gray, Levy and I.

Sting stopped walking when he saw everyone. "What-" he started.

"This is Erza, Gray and Natsu," I interrupted. "They go to another spy school."

"And _why_ exactly are they here?" Sting's voice was tense. His training had taught him well, but not well enough for him to use logic and realize that not only was _I _trusting them, by _they _were also trusting _us_.

"There's something going on between our headmasters," Erza intervened. "We know they each knew about the other spies, but didn't inform us. We think they might be working together."

"Why would they do that?" Sting still kept his distance from the three who were strangers to him.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Natsu said coldly.

I was standing next to him, so I reached over and gave his hand a squeeze to calm him down. He looked down at me, smiled, and pecked me on the cheek. Everyone stared at us, and we both blushed profusely.

Sting cleared his throat to call attention back to himself. He'd been trying to get me to go out with him since we met, it was natural that he'd feel uncomfortable, and I found myself feeling guilty for hurting him.

"What are we going to do about it?" At that moment, my phone rang, and I had to step to the side with all eyes on me.

The called ID was clear as I read: _Stephen._

My body felt numb as I listened to Stephen talk. Why now, when I had other things to worry about?

I hung up and turned back to the group.

"What's wrong, Lu?" Levy asked, but I could tell she was trying not to pry too much.

"Nothing, Levy. I'm fine." I gave her a quick smile to solidify my lie.

"Um, so, as Sting said,'What are we going to do about it?'" Gray quoted.

After a couple hours of debating about what to do, Gray, Natsu, Levy and Sting finally left for their own dorms to get some sleep.

But, just before they left, Levy pulled me aside.

"Lu, I know something's up, I know you too well."

I sighed. I knew I couldn't lie to Levy.

"What was that call, Lu?" she prodded.

"Stephen found something on the guy who killed my parents."

* * *

**So... What will Lucy do now? Will she work with Natsu and his group to figure out what's up with their headmasters? Or will she continue with her original mission fueled by grief over the loss of her parents? Please let me know what you think in the reviews! I would love to hear from you guys :) Oh, and sorry for the short chapter.**


	7. Voices

**I Spy**

**NATSU**

Chapter Seven

I sat with my head in my hands on my bed. Gray was sitting next to me with one hand on my back.

"Dude, I know you wanna find Igneel and all, but shouldn't we deal with the whole thing about our two schools first?"

I knew that he was right, and I didn't want to turn on anyone, but still… Igneel was so close! It was like a fuzzy picture that you just couldn't quite make out.

I sighed and raked my hand through my salmon hair.

The call came just after I left Lucy's room. All Jellal had said was that the man who took Igneel was here. He was a teacher. For some reason, I felt guilty accusing one of the teachers that I had grown to love at Fairy Tail. They all seemed so nice. But for one of them, that was a facade.

The whole thing with our schools was seriously messed up. I mean, it just didn't make any sense. Why would they work together? At first, we thought that we might have the same headmaster or something weird like that, but then we each played a recording of our headmasters' voices and they didn't match up. My headmaster had a deeper voice, and Lucy's headmaster seemed a bit more lighthearted. It reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

"Gray, I just-" I started.

"I get it, I get it. I know you want to find your dad." He made sure he looked me in the eyes before continuing. "If you really want to go off and continue your mission, I will support you."

"But?" I said, knowing there was one coming.

"_But_, I think you should help us figure this out first." He stood up and made his way to the door, even though it was already past curfew, but I didn't question it. "It's your choice," he said right before the door closed behind him.

"Ugh," I groaned, letting myself fall back on the fluffy mattress of my bed. "Why does this have to be so hard?"

I lay there, thinking, for a while (which is kinda unusual for me). I got to wondering what Lucy had heard on the phone during the meeting, and then it hit me. She got the same call as me. Well, not the _same_ call, but you get the point. And she decided to not even mention it.

_Damn_, I thought. _She's such a better person than me. I'm sitting here weighing my options, and she did it in seconds. She didn't even have to ask her best friend's advice._

"That's it!" I said, pulling myself up and over to the TV. Yeah, I had come to a conclusion as to what I was going to focus on, but that didn't mean I had to miss my TV time!

* * *

"Natsu? Natsu?" The voice sounded so distant, yet right next to me. "Natsu?" it persisted.

"Go away!" I grumbled in the direction of the voice.

"Well, that's no way to talk to your girlfriend," the voice retorted, now with an indignant tone.

My eyes shot up to see Lucy standing above me, fully clothed and looking beautiful. It took my mind a second to register that it was the weekend and we could wear normal clothes.

Lucy was wearing skinny jeans, a gray v-neck tee with a faux leather pocket, and navy blue high-tops. As simple as the outfit was, on her it was...perfection.

I glanced at the clock to see that it read _7:09_. Really? This was the weekend, right?

"Luce!" I groaned. "Why did you get me up so early on a Saturday?"

Lucy just rolled those gorgeous brown orbs of eyes and pulled my comforter from my bed. I shivered as my body got used to the temperature of the room.

"Hey!" I yelled. "What was that for?"

"Get dressed. We're going for a walk," Lucy said, bouncing happily out of the room.

Once I was in a red T-shirt and black jeans (my favorite), I met Lucy outside the dorm and we started walking towards the lake. We stopped when we neared a clearing with a park bench looking over the lake. The sun was just rising and it was breathtaking, all the pinks, oranges, yellows and even a little purple swirling together to create a masterpiece of nature. Fire. It reminded me of fire. I loved fire.

"So? What did you want to talk about?" I said, watching my breath in the cold air as I sat down on the bench and burrowed my hands in the pockets of my gray peacoat. I nuzzled my face into my usual scaled scarf. It was the last thing I had of my father.

"Well, I thought that we should both get some things out in the open. I mean, I'm sure you have some questions for me and vice versa."

Lucy's cheeks were tinted a light pink from the cold, and it looked good on her. I could tell that she was well-adjusted to all temperatures. Even so, she still wore a long navy coat she seemed to have conjured up since she barged into my room and woke me up.

"Okay," I said, still not sure exactly what she wanted to talk about.

"Okay," she mimicked. "You go first."

I racked my brain for the questions I'd been asking since I found out Lucy was a spy. "Um, why are you here?" I took one look at her offended expression and took it as a sign to clarify. "I mean, what was your original mission that brought you to Fairy Tail?"

Lucy looked down at her hands. "My, um, my parents died when I was little. They were the best in the spy world, but somehow their target got the best of them. It was a mission with an unspecified target, so we don't know exactly who did it, but my headmaster got a lead that he was here. Apparently, he's a teacher."

I couldn't believe it. Her story was just so similar to mine, it couldn't be a coincidence.

"Lucy?"

"Yeah?" she asked, sniffling with tears in her eyes. My heart hurt to see her like that.

"I came for the exact same reason. Well, with the exception that my father was kidnapped, not…" I wasn't able to finish the sentence.

"Killed?" Lucy put her hand on my arm and looked up at me. "It's, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with saying it. My parents were...killed."

I could see that she wanted to burst into tears then and there. "Hey, Luce. It's okay. It's all going to be okay, okay?"

"Yeah," she sniffed,"I know."

We sat there watching the sun rise all the way into the sky, on its first leg of its long one-day journey. I found myself thinking about how it watched over us all day. Like some sort of angel. I glanced over at Luce. _No_, I thought to myself, _Luce is the angel_.

* * *

"Where were you!" Gray asked, sitting in our room with Sting, playing more video games. I sighed, not really wanting the blonde to be there at the moment.

"Out," I mumbled, just loud enough for them to hear. "With Luce," I added as an after thought.

Sting looked like he was a little kid in the sandbox and someone had just taken his favorite toy truck right out of his hands.

I slipped off my shoes and flopped down onto the couch between the two.

"Did you figure out what you're going to do?" Gray asked, half paying attention to me, half paying attention to the video game.

"Yeah," I answered,"I'm going to help figure out what the hell is going on."

"Good," Gray ended the conversation, returning his full focus to the game at hand.

I went to the mini-fridge to grab a soda when it hit me. I remembered who Lucy's headmaster's voice had reminded me of. Igneel.

* * *

**How was chapter seven? What do you think about that ending? I would love to hear from you guys in the reviews, so please leave any questions or comments there. Or, you could always PM me. Anyways, thank you so much for reading my story and I hope you choose to continue. (Oh, and special shout-out to xxItzChaosxx for the new record in consecutive reviews! Thank you so much!)**


	8. Threats

**I Spy**

**NATSU**

Chapter Seven

Igneel. He sounded like Igneel. How could that be? Igneel was kidnapped when I was just a kid. By now, he was most likely…gone. He couldn't be Lucy's headmaster. That made no sense. He was kidnapped. He was kidnapped. There was no way he could be the head of a school for spies. Right?

"Natsu? Care to pay attention?" Mrs. Blackstone asked impatiently from the front of the room where she had just written a word I did _not _know the definition of.

"Yes, Mrs. Blackstone. Sorry," I hastily apologized.

She smiled at me in that way that only teachers can smile when they know they're about to embarrass you.

"Well, Natsu, then how about you tell me what 'uxorious' means?" That stupid smirk on her face! I desperately wished that I could wipe it off her face, but she was right, I didn't know the answer.

"'Uxorious' means to be overly submissive to one's wife. In today's terms, it means 'whipped'." Lucy came to my rescue, again! She smiled at Mrs. Blackstone and sat back down in her seat.

"Thank you, _Natsu_," Mrs. Blackstone said, emphasizing the point that she'd asked me, not Lucy.

"You're welcome," Lucy replied sweetly. Mrs. Blackstone glared at her before continuing with her lesson reviewing compound-complex sentences.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Luce," I said eagerly as we walked out of English class. She smiled back out me before her face transformed with curiosity.

"What were you day-dreaming about in class?"

_Should I tell her? I mean, she hasn't kept anything from me, right? And, she _is _technically my girlfriend, _I thought as we kept walking towards the cafeteria.

"Um-" I started, before I was cut off by my ringtone. I glanced down at the caller ID and sighed. "Sorry, Luce, I have to take this."

"Uh, okay," she said as I walked away.

I walked into a deserted classroom, and pressed the "answer" button.

"Hello, Headmaster," I said reluctantly. I really didn't want to hear what he had to say. I had a bad feeling about this.

"Hello, Mr. Dragneel. I trust you're doing well with your assignment?" His voice told me that he knew we hadn't made any progress. That maybe he even knew what we were doing instead.

"Um, we're doing fine. Thank you, sir."

The line was silent for a minute before,"I have something for you to do while you're at Fairy Tail Academy."

"Okay…" What did he want me to do?

"This particular mission is of utmost importance, got that? If you fail to do this, don't even bother coming back to school."

What the hell was so important? I didn't have to wait long to find out.

"I want you to bring in Lucy Heartfilia. She has become a problem." He said it like it was any other mission, any other job or assignment. It wasn't. The moment he uttered those words from a thousand miles away, my blood ran cold. No. No! He could not do this to me! I wouldn't do it!

"Sir-" I tried, but he interrupted.

"Mr. Dragneel, if you do not complete this simple task, not only will you lose your place here, but I will take care of it myself. And I promise that I will do it myself and I will make it _very _unpleasant for her."

"Sir," I started cautiously," can I ask what exactly she did to be considered a 'problem'?"

"Mr. Dragneel, I don't think it's really your pla-"

"If you want me to do my job, I need to know all the details," I said coldly.

"Very well." He cleared his throat. "Ms. Heartfilia is very close with the man who kidnapped your father. She will do anything and everything to protect him. We need her gone in order to save your father."

"Wh-what?" I stuttered.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dragneel, but it's true."

I hung up the phone before he could tell me anything else that would make me want to run away from everything and everyone.

Lucy was protecting the man who kidnapped my father? Did she know what he did? Of course she did, she was close to him. That's what the headmaster said.

But…it was Lucy. I didn't know if I would be able to carry through with my task, even if she was helping the man I hated most in the world.

* * *

"Are you okay, Natsu?" Lucy was looking up at me with concerned eyes. We had just gotten out of last period, and I'd been avoiding her all day.

"Yeah, fine." I shrugged her hand off my shoulder and sped up my pace. She had to jog to keep up, and I prayed she would get the message that I didn't want to talk to her.

"Was it something I did? Because, you've been ignoring me all day, and it's starting to scare me, and-"

"JUST SHUT UP!" I screamed at her. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Can't you tell that I'm ignoring you?! I'm making it kinda obvious!" The tears were welling up in her eyes, but I just kept going. "You never know when to just shut your stupid mouth and stop nagging people! So, let me make it clear; Don't. Talk. To. Me." My voice was laced with venom, and the shock was clear on Lucy's gentle features.

"Sorry," she whispered with a throat sore from holding in tears. She turned quickly and walked away.

I stood there, in the middle of the hall, dumbfounded. What had I just done? I didn't mean to say that! Even if what my headmaster said was true, there had to be a good reason that Lucy would do that! I felt the guilt consume me as racked my brain for ways to apologize to her. Would she ever forgive me?

* * *

I took a deep breath before I took a huge gamble. He wouldn't do it, I just _knew _he wouldn't do it. There was no he would actually go through with it. And just in case, I had to try my best to convince him otherwise.

"Headmaster?" I asked after dialing the number that I'd used so many times I didn't even have to think about punching in the digits.

"Yes, Mr. Dragneel?" he asked, half skeptical, half amused. I guessed he knew what I was about to say.

"I'm not going to kidnap Lucy. There's no reason I should! She may not even know who she's protecting. I mean, they might be close, but that doesn't mean that she knows _everything _about him. Why don't I just deal with her when the time comes? And why do you want me to kidnap her? Normally, you would tell me to just eliminate a problem. Does she have some kind of valuable information? Either way, I won't do it. I've seen how you interrogate people. I won't let you do that to her."

"Mr. Dragneel?"

"Yes?" I gulped.

"I understand how you feel." Then, he hung up. He just hung up. I sighed, taking the fact that there was no yelling, and that he'd said he understood as signs that he was no longer going to have me bring Lucy to him.

I was right that he no longer wanted _me _to kidnap Lucy, but I was having misguided feelings about it.

A few minutes after my phone call, I was walking around campus, hoping to bump into Lucy so that we could talk. Going to her dorm was too risky, Erza could be there, and there was no way I could lose her, and telling her everything was not an option at the moment. Erza would freak out and probably bring Lucy in. I mean, she was an extremely loyal person, and the only home she'd known was our school. Although she was friends with Lucy, they still didn't _really _know each other, and I knew Erza would trust the people she called family over a friend of a couple weeks.

I ran a hand through my salmon hair, tousling it. Sitting down on a bench near the fountain in the middle of the quad, I put my head in my hands. What was I going to do about Lucy? Could I trust her? My headmaster obviously didn't. Could I trust him? When it came down to it, where did _my _loyalties lie?

I heard hurried footsteps approach and lifted my head to see who it was. Levy was standing in front of me, catching her breath with a scared look in her eyes. My stomach churned at that look.

"Levy?" I asked, trying to remain calm. "What's wrong?"

"It's Lucy," she gasped between breaths.

My stomach plummeted downwards, like one of those roller coaster rides.

"What happened?" I asked, not trying to rein in my panic anymore.

Levy had finally stopped panting. "She's gone."

* * *

**So...lot's of interesting progression this time, huh? What do you think they're going to do with Lucy? Why is she protecting the man who kidnapped Natsu's father? _Who _is the man who kidnapped Natsu's father? Why does Natsu's headmaster want Lucy alive? All very good questions. Sorry for not updating sooner, I've been kinda busy, and I had a mild case of writers' block. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and please leave a review with any questions or comments! :)**


	9. Waking up

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter Nine

Everything was fuzzy. I couldn't make out any of my surroundings. Something moved near the right side of my vision.

"Looks like you're awake." I didn't know who said it, but I could hear the coolness in their voice. They weren't playing around, and they'd done this sort of thing many times before. They had no problem hurting - probably even killing - me.

I became suddenly aware of the fact that I was seated, strapped into a metal chair - my legs buckled to the legs of the chair, and my arms to the armrests.

Squeezing my eyes shut one last time in an attempt to better my vision, it cleared up a bit. I could now see that the person in front of me was dressed nicely, in a black suit complete with a tie. He looked kind of like a butler.

"Your vision will be…" he searched for the right word,"less than optimal for a while."

"Yeah, thanks for that," I replied sarcastically.

"You are welcome, Ms. Heartfilia." He sounded serious. I shuddered at the sound of my name on his tongue.

"So? What do you want? I think you'll be sorely disappointed, because I'm just a student. I have no important information about anything." I knew that he might not keep me alive if I had no information, but it was better than letting them think I had some, torturing me, and killing me after I spilled. Which I would _never_ do. I was very loyal to my school. My home.

The man cleared his throat. "You may be a student, but you are _not _'just a student'. You are the most highly ranked spy of your age. It's amazing, Ms. Heartfilia. You have topped every one of your teachers, and even your headmaster in some respects. Amazing, indeed."

I rolled my eyes. "I see you've done your homework, but what does that have to do with you kidnapping me? If you know who I am, you must know that I would never, _ever_, spill information. Assuming that I had any."

He chuckled, and for some reason, I recognized that chuckle. I brushed the nostalgia aside, it was far from my biggest worry at the moment.

"Yes, I do know that you _think _you would never spill any information. And I do know that you _have _information that I would very much appreciate you telling me. So, until you prove yourself to be not be of valuable, you are invaluable."

"I have know idea what information you want. They don't tell students anything. Shouldn't you know that?" I really had no idea what he wanted, and it was true - the headmaster never told me _anything. _The only times he ever really talked to me were when he was briefing me for a job.

"Yes you do, Ms. Heartfilia. No need to play dumb." Now he was sitting in front of me, across from a metal table, in a metal chair identical to mine - he wasn't strapped to it.

"Dumb is not in my vocabulary," I said, starting to get a bit annoyed at this guy - I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!

I took a deep breath to calm down. Getting worked up was no way to approach this. _Ok, _I thought to myself, _if he wants to think I have information, I'll let him think I have information. It'll buy me some time to figure a way out._

Chuckling again, the man stood and walked out of the door, and for the first time, I recognized the big mirror on the wall opposite me. It was a two-way mirror. Someone was watching from the other side.

I blinked hard a couple of times and my vision started to slowly progress towards normal. Once I could make out the details of the room, I took a long look around.

The only furniture in the room were the two chairs - including mine - and the table. There was an air-vent behind me, but it was high up. No windows, and one metal light with a cage around the bulb hanging from the ceiling, out of reach. The biggest problem about getting out was the mirror. I never knew who would be on the other side and when. At the best opportunity, I would have to slip out of the door after someone else, and make a run for it. It was my best chance. But first, I had to get out of the chair.

* * *

About two hours later, my situation had gotten worse. By my experience with the things binding me to the chair, they were constricting. Every time I tried to move or struggle, they got tighter. My arms felt like they were starting to mold into the metal of the chair. I'd learned about those kind of ropes in school, and they weren't pretty. The only way to get them off was to pour water on them. It loosened the molecules, and therefore the rope loosened. The highest technology. Sadly, there wasn't a drop of water around, and if they were smart - which they seemed to be - they wouldn't give me any.

The lock on the door turned and I jumped a little in my chair. The man was back.

"What now?" I asked, trying my best to sound bored. There was no reason to let him know I'd been doing a lot of thinking, though he most likely already knew that from watching me.

"Now, we begin." He sat back down in the other chair and folded his hands in front of him on the table.

"What? Tired of watching me from behind the glass? Sorry if I'm boring, there's not much to do in here. You should really think about redecorating. I think green would look good in here. Oh! And put in a TV, it would be so-" I smirked when he stopped me. Just the reaction I wanted.

He cleared his throat in annoyance. For now, all I could do was wear him down.

"Ready?" It wasn't really a question, but I responded anyway.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, Ms. Heartfilia, you do not."

"Then let's get on with it. Better for you to get over your disappointment sooner. I'm not telling you anything," I stated like it was fact, which it practically was, thanks to the fact that I didn't know anything to tell.

"We'll see about that," he replied calmly, standing up from his chair and walking towards me.

I gulped, mentally preparing myself for what was to come.

* * *

**What do you think's going to happen? Some of you can probably guess a bit about what's going on here, but unless you think exactly like me, I don't see how it would occur to you. It didn't even occur to me at first. I just kinda got the idea and started executing it. Anyway, I just became a Betareader and I'm so excited! (Sorry for veering of topic.) Hope you liked the chapter and keep reading! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! I'll update ASAP.**


	10. He? She? Passed?

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter Ten

The man walked towards me slowly. I knew he was just trying to get me scared, but it was working. I took a deep breath. I made a mental list of things to reassure myself:

_1\. I will not let him break me_

_2\. I have no information, anyway_

_3\. I will not betray my home in any way_

_4\. I will get through this_

_5\. I will find a way out_

_6\. I am strong_

_7\. I am strong_

_9\. I am strong_

I looked up into the man's eyes as he approached. They were cold, there was no hesitation or fear in them. This was everyday work for him. This was what he was good at.

"Where is Igneel?" He asked it so calmly that I had to do a double-take. What did they want with Igneel?

"Excuse me?" I said, starting to shake a little. Maybe I _did_ have the information they wanted.

"Where. Is. Igneel?" he asked, stern this time.

Why did they want Igneel? I mean, sure, he was my headmaster, but it's not like there was anything more to him than that. He didn't know anything important enough for people to be kidnapped over it. He was just my headmaster.

I knew I probably shouldn't, but I blurted out anyway,"What do you want with Igneel?"

The man smiled, and I again felt a kind of nostalgia towards him. Who was this guy?

"See? There is no use for playing innocent, Ms. Heartfilia. I already know you have what we want."

"I don't know what you want!" I screamed.

I felt the sting on my face before I realized what had happened. That was going to leave a bruise.

"Do not scream at me, Ms. Heartfilia."

I glared up at the man. "Then don't accuse me of knowing things I have no knowledge of."

This time he slapped me on the other side of my face.

"I advise you to get to the point and tell me what I want to know. Or, I could continue?" His voice was cool, testing me. But there was no way he would get to me so easily.

"Please, continue," I replied in my best mock-polite voice.

The man took out a gun from a holster I hadn't noticed before, and hit me in the head with the butt of the gun. I heard something crack, and felt a steady line of blood run down my face. It obstructed the vision in my left eye.

I smiled at the man, just for kicks. He returned it with a smile of his own, and knee to the gut. I bent over coughing, and some blood came out.

"Ready to cooperate?" he asked in a sickly-sweet voice that made me want to throw up. I shook my head, I was not backing down.

He pulled out a knife from the breast pocket inside his suit jacket and drove a deep gash into my arm, and then one into my leg. My teeth gritted in pain, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming.

"You know, Ms. Heartfilia, I knew your parents."

That was all he had to say to break all resolve that I had. The tears welled up in my eyes, and I just managed to croak out,"Don't talk to me about my parents. You have no right."

This time the butt of his gun hit me in the temple, and my head screeched in pain. My vision was clouded with black dots everywhere.

"I have every right. It's a free country!" the man bellowed.

My jaw tensed and I fought the urge to struggle more in my restraints - they would just tighten.

The man straightened the sunglasses over his eyes, and cleared his throat. "Your mom was a lovely woman. Very beautiful. You look a lot like her, you know. Your father, he-"

"SHUT UP!"

The man's eyebrows shut up over his sunglasses, and he paused for a second before bursting out in a fit of laughter.

"Feisty just like your mom, too." I opened my mouth to say something, but he kneed me in the gut again. And, as I sat there coughing up blood, he continued. "As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted, your father was a smart man, much like you. He was the best in his class. Everyone thought he would be the next head of the FBI, or maybe the CIA. Everyone envied him." Then, he said something that caught me completely off-guard. "They didn't die on a mission, like they told us."

By now, I was shaking in mixture of anger, grief and helplessness. "What?" I squeaked.

The man looked almost amused, but I could see something in his eyes. He looked almost, sorry. Sorry for what he was doing to me. My anger softened a little at this.

"I thought you knew," he said in a teasing tone, daring me to ask the next question.

"Knew what?" I was back to gritting my teeth in frustration.

"Knew that Igneel was the one who killed your parents."

"What? You're lying!" Igneel would never do that. He would never do that. He would never….

"I can assure you that I am not lying. And, as you can see, it is in your best interest to cooperate with us. You want him dead, too. You have every right to see the light vanish from his eyes yourself."

"No!" I screamed. "No! I will not betray Igneel! He did not kill my parents!"

The man slapped me again. "I told you not to yell at me." I shot him a glare of defiance. He took out his knife again and ran it down the right side of my face. All the while, he spat out meaningless words like a slithering serpent. "Your parents would be disappointed in you, Lucy."

"They would be proud that I put my trust in the man who raised me, not the man interrogating me, the man who kidnapped me."

He rammed my head into the wall behind me. "We are done for now." He walked right out of the room without another word.

Sitting there alone, I let my guard drop a little, and the tears came streaming down my face. And then an idea popped into my head. I had been so stupid! I kept crying, trying to keep it up as long as I could, letting my tears fall onto the restraints of my arms. Soon enough, my arms were free and I started working on my legs.

Once I was free from the chair, I dashed to the door, praying that there was nobody on the other side of the mirror on the wall, watching me at that very moment. I reached into my hair and pulled out a bobby-pin. Jiggling it into the tumbler of the lock on the door, it clicked open.

Slowly, I inched the door opened and slid out into the hallway. There was another door to my left, which I assumed led to the room behind the mirror, and I put my ear against it to listen. Nothing.

I kept moving down the hall, and stopped when I reached an intersection. I quietly leaned my head out to see if anyone was coming, but the coast was clear. Just as I was stepping out in the open, I heard voices coming from my right. I jumped back into the safety of the hallway I'd come from, and pressed against the wall so that they wouldn't be able to see me. I strained to hear their conversation as they passed.

"She's doing excellently. He, on the other hand, is lagging a little. I mean, he hasn't gotten here yet?"

Another voice,"I heard he's almost reached us. Should be soon."

"Yeah," a third voice interjected,"but she's already escaped. I think we all know who passed."

He? She? Passed? What were they talking about?

The voices got too far away for me to hear, so I darted across the hall. There was a glowing red "Exit" sign right there, and pushed through the door to the open night air. It took me a second to regain my senses and start running. They would be on me in any moment.

I ran right into the woods, jumping over old logs and through tall grasses.

I yelped when I ran into something. All my injures started to scream in protest as I moved to stand again. I squinted to see in the dark, and my eyes caught a tuft of pink hair.

"Natsu!" I yelled, jumping to give him a hug.

"Luce," he whispered, sending shivers through my body.

Just then, our lips met, and it was nothing I'd ever felt before. When I'd kissed Natsu back at Fairy Tail, we'd both been pretending to be people we weren't. This was the first time we kissed, knowing fully who we both were. It was the first time kissing him felt completely and utterly _real._

* * *

**Eek! The NaLu is back people! (I'm getting a little carried away, aren't I? Sorry about that.) So, Natsu and Lucy meet again. What do you think the people who held Lucy captive were talking about? What do you think is going to happen next? I'm personally VERY excited for how this is all going to play out. A stroke of genius, if I must say so myself. (In all reality, I'm excited now, but when I finish this story and look back on it, I'm going to be thinking,"How did I ever think this was SO good?") So...please remember to follow, favorite, and review!**


	11. He came in second

**I Spy**

**NATSU**

Chapter Eleven

Lucy and I stood there, in the dark, for what seemed like forever. Her hands were tangled in my hair, and mine were on her hips, feeling their way up her back to hold her face. The world just…melted away. It was like there wasn't anything to think about, to worry about, but us and our passion for each other. It was like everything else was our past life, and now we were in heaven. We pulled away only for air.

"Wow," Lucy said under her breath, smiling like she'd just found the needle in the haystack.

"You could say that again," I mused, breathless from the heated kiss. I couldn't keep my own smile from creeping onto my face.

"Wow," she joked. I nudged her, and we both laughed a little. But we stopped abruptly when we saw a light shining through the trees. How could we be so stupid? We were in the middle of running away from these people, and we decided to make out!

"Come on," I said, grabbing Luce's hand and running like our lives depended on it. But, then again, I guess they kinda did.

Sticks and twigs scraped my legs as we ran, and I hoped that I was clearing a path for Lucy. She was still holding tight to my hand. My foot almost caught on a rock sticking up from the underbrush, but I somehow kept my balance and kept running. The light behind us was growing brighter, and I was starting to hear voices accompanying it. Not good.

"Natsu," Lucy said with what little strength she had. "Natsu!" She yelled, getting my attention. I stopped running and turned to her.

"What?" I whisper-yelled. Why the hell would she stop running and carelessly yell out when her captors were so close?

"Natsu, I'm hurt. I'll only slow you do-"

I shut her up by grabbing her hand again and picking up the pace. "Lucy, you think I care about that? I came here to save _you, _and that's what I intend to do, no matter what!" I shouted back to her. From the light of the people searching behind us, I could see a light pink tint appear on her cheeks, and I realized what I'd just said. _Well, _I thought, _that should earn me some "good boyfriend" points when we get back_.

We reached the edge of the tree-line, where a field started, and the hard part was about to start. When our predators got there, they would be able to spot us from anywhere, we wouldn't have the protection of the foliage anymore.

I dashed out into the open air with a new determination. I knew it was basically impossible, but getting to the other side of the field before they reached us was our best bet. My legs and lungs were burning, but all I kept thinking about was how Lucy must be feeling. It was so dark before that I hadn't seen her injuries. To tell the truth, I was so engrossed in the taste of her lips that even if I could see her, I probably still wouldn't have noticed them.

We were so close! So close when I heard a thump, a strangled cry, and Lucy's hand slipped out of mine. She was on the ground, hands pressed to her knee, and her face contorted in excruciating pain. I reached a hand down to help her up, but she just shook her head. Suddenly, the light found me, and temporarily blinded me with its strength. I stumbled back, putting my hand in front of my eyes to regain some sort of vision again. Before I could, I was being pinned to the ground, and everything went dark.

* * *

_"Natsu! Natsu!" Someone called out to me, but I couldn't see anyone. I was in the middle of a dark abyss. Nothing to be seen or heard except for the sweet voice calling out to me._

_"Natsu!" it yelled again._

_"Who's there?" I tried. This time, I got the sound of approaching footsteps in response._

_Whoever it was, rapped their arms around my neck and held me tight. I got a whiff of…vanilla? _

_"Lucy!" I exclaimed. Why was she there?_

_"Hey, Natsu," she said somberly, pulling away from me._

_"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, brushing tears from her cheeks._

_"It's just," she sniffled,"I'm really sorry. I got you mixed up in all of this, and-"_

_"Shhh," I cooed in her ear, holding her close once again. "I don't care about that. There was nothing you could do to keep me away."_

_Lucy stood on her tip-toes and pecked me on the lips, soft and sweet. Her eyes showed a bit of guilt still, and something about them said,"Goodbye."_

_"Luce, please, don't go!" I yelled out to Lucy, who was returning to the dark abyss._

_"I love you." It hung like a wisp in the air, slowly floating to the ground._

_"I love you, too," I whispered._

* * *

My eyes opened to a world filled with black spots. They were everywhere. Must've been from being knocked out. I was sitting in a white bed, with an IV in my arm. The room was sterilely white, and it smelled like hospital.

A nurse walked in through a door across the room from my bed, and she looked pleased to see me awake.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Dragneel." She smiled as she checked my vitals.

"How do you know who I am?" My voice was careful, I still didn't know exactly what kind of position I was in.

"I _am _your nurse, you know." She sighed. "Plus, it helps that you're a bit of a celebrity around here."

"What?" But it sounded more like _What the hell?_

"You came in second, right? That's amazing! I heard the person who came in first wasn't even human. Apparently, she was told that her parent were killed by your father, and she _still _refused to break. I mean, what kind of person doesn't break at that?" She held up her hands in defense. "Hey, points to her for getting through and all, I just don't think I could even do that."

"My father?"

"What about him?"

"Do you know where he is?" I was desperate to see him after so many years.

"Um, yeah, he's in the waiting room. Waiting for you and the one who came in first to wake up?"

"The one who came in first? What do you mea-" I was cut off when the door flew open for the second time, and a man with bright red hair strolled in. My father, Igneel.

"Dad!"

He walked over and gave me a hug only a father can give. I could tell he was glad to see me again.

"What happened to you? I was told you were kidnapped!" I said when we pulled apart.

"We have a lot of talking to do, Natsu."

Just then, I heard someone scream, and a door slammed. My dad cringed at the sound, but I got the feeling he knew it was coming.

"What was that?"

"I guess Lucy woke up," he said quietly, but I caught it.

"Lucy? Can I see her?" I asked eagerly. I remembered vaguely what had happened the night before, and wanted to see if she was okay.

Dad scratched the back of his head. "I don't think that's the best idea right now, Natsu. She's going through a lot at the moment."

"Like what?" What did he know? Was she okay?

"For one, she just saw the parents she's been thinking were dead all these years."

What? Like what was happening to me with my dad? "But shouldn't she be happy?"

"It's complicated, Natsu. While she was here, before she escaped, stuff happened, and her parents orchestrated the whole thing. It would've been damaging even if it wasn't her parents who did it her."

My mind flooded in anger. What happened to her?

"Why the hell would they do something to hurt her? They're her parents!"

A guilty look crossed over my dad's face. "Because, she passed."

* * *

**She passed! What does that mean? Why is it so important that her parents would do that to her? What's the whole story? Is Lucy okay after everything that happened? Find out next time! Lol, sorry to be so cheesy :) I hope you liked the chapter! So... please follow, favorite and review, review, review! They help me so much with my writing! See ya next time!**


	12. Explanations

**I Spy**

**NATSU**

Chapter Twelve

"Passed?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, passed," Dad sighed. "There's a lot you don't know about, Natsu. Stuff we've been keeping from the two of you for years."

"Like what?" My voice was sharp, and I suddenly wasn't so sure how excited I was to see my dad. _Should I be mad at him like Lucy is with her parents?_

Dad pulled a chair by the window up to my bed and sat down, resting his head in his hands. He looked exhausted. "I don't really know how to say this, but here goes: When you and Lucy were both about six years old, we decided to fake that I had been kidnapped and that her parents had been killed."

"Why-" I started, but Dad just held up a finger to stop me.

"At the time, we thought it was the best thing for you. We thought that it would make you better spies - this whole thing. Everything, from that very day, became a test. You both exceeded our expectations. You rose to the top of your schools, each monitored closely by your headmaster - the other's father. It seemed like everything we'd done was right. But then Jude - Lucy's father - suggested we take it a step further. He wanted to see which of you was stronger. I was against it, but he went ahead anyway. I had no choice but to follow. So you were both baited into fake missions at Fairy Tail Academy. We hadn't expected you to figure out that Lucy was a spy so quickly, at all, actually. It wasn't a part of the plan, but we didn't do anything about it. Then you two started dating, and we…well, we tried to find a way to fix things. We didn't want you getting too attached. But after a couple days of arguing, we agreed that it would make your first test harder, and that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Your first real task was to bring Lucy to Jude. You failed."

"But-" I defended. Again, my dad raised his finger to stop me.

"I am very proud that you failed this particular test. I would be disappointed if my son turned in the girl he loved without any proof that she was anything but what she claimed to be." He smiled at me. "So, we got to Lucy ourselves to give her her first task. It was to escaped this place without breaking. She passed with flying colors. Better than we'd anticipated, so much so that she overheard some things she shouldn't have. Meanwhile, your second task was to redeem yourself by saving Lucy. It was one or the other - if she failed her test, you would be expected to save her, and therefore you would pass your second test. But, if she passed her first test, then you would have failed your second test. As you know, Lucy managed to escape, so you failed your second test. There was no need to give Lucy another task, since she had already clearly won." Dad took a deep shaky breath, and finally relaxed into his seat, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

It took me a minute to process everything, but once I had, I asked,"What happened to Lucy while she was here the first time? I mean, what was it that was meant to break her?"

A pained look crossed my father's face, and it seemed hard for him to answer, but he did, knowing that I deserved answers. "She was interrogated. Mentally and physically."

I balled my hands, each around a fist-full of fabric from the sheets on the bed. All I could see was red, and I was about to jump out of bed to find Lucy's father and beat him to a pulp, when my father grabbed my arm and eased me back down.

"Please, Natsu. That would only make things worse."

I had to take a couple of deep breaths and count to ten before I calmed down enough to ask,"What did they tell her?"

"They," his voice cracked,"they told her that I, her headmaster, was the one who killed her parents."

Just then, something clicked. "When you were explaining everything, you never said anything about Lucy's mother. What was her part in all of this?"

My dad looked like I'd just run over his puppy. Shocked, he looked shocked. And hurt.

"She…she really did die on a mission. She was never for all the lying, so she decided to take an easy mission to cool her head, but she…. She never came back," he whispered with a strained voice. I could tell they had been good friends.

Lucy's mother was dead. The one person who would probably still be there for her, if she could. No. I would be there for Lucy. No matter what.

My dad and I spent the rest of the afternoon talking and sharing stories about our lives without each other. He told me about how Lucy caused a lot of trouble for her teachers, always one-upping them, and I told him about my pranks around my school.

"GET OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! I HATE YOU!" I heard someone scream outside. Lucy. Someone slapped her, and I heard her crumbled to her knees. This time, I jumped out of bed so quickly that my dad couldn't even try to stop me. I threw open the door to find Lucy and Jude in the hall. Lucy was on the ground at her father's feet and Jude was standing above her, looking pleased with himself.

"Natsu, come o-" my dad said as he walked up to me from behind.

I interrupted him, my voice cold. "No. I will not leave her like this."

To my surprise, my dad put his hand on my shoulder in support. It was such a warm and foreign gesture to me after all those years that I almost didn't realized it actually happened.

The last thing I remember is pulling back my hand to knock that blonde b^stard into the next week.

* * *

**Sorry, I know it's kind of a short chapter, but I really need to switch to Lucy's P.O.V. soon for you to get the full effect. I hope you liked it anyway. Please, feel free to PM me with any questions, concerns, or criticisms. And, of course, you can always review. I always appreciate those ;) Yeah, so please follow, favorite, and review, and read the next chapter when I update again!**


	13. Conflicting feelings

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter Thirteen

I winced as Natsu's hard fist colliding with my cheek. The force was so great, I stumbled backwards a few steps. _Why did I do that?_

Natsu scrambled for something to say. The guilt, the pain, written all over his face. "Luce, I…I didn't mean…I thought…Why would you…?…Why aren't you…mad?" I fully understood his confusion because I was just as confused as he was.

"I don't know how I feel right now, Natsu!" Tears rolled down my cheeks in frustration. "All I know is that I don't want you getting into fist fights with my father!" I huffed, it took so much strength for me to shout. That night when Natsu and I were running away, I was shot in the leg, and the wound hadn't healed yet.

"But, he…" Natsu was at a loss for words, for once.

"I, I don't know Natsu! I don't know! I don't-" I screamed before I was cut off.

"I'm her father, she _should _take a punch for me." My father smirked at Natsu.

Natsu puffed out his chest and got close to my father, glaring at him. I could see the steam coming out of his ears, but it was not what I needed at the moment. I pushed between them.

"STOP!" I screamed, my throat sore from going from not being used to screaming.

Both of them looked down at me in shock. I was still crying, and I could see Natsu felt bad about it.

"Just stop," I exhaled. "You," I said pointing to my father,"are a terrible human being. And you,"I turned to Natsu this time,"are too protective. I can handle myself! Not to mention that the only way you seem to solve you problems is with your fists! Well, it's not helping anyone!" I took a shaky breath. "And neither of you are what I need." With that, I walked out the door, my leg throbbing from so much use so soon.

I kept walking until I reached a big park. Deciding to take a stroll to clear my mind, I stepped onto the worn dirt path.

_He was just trying to help_, I thought. _His heart is in the right place. _I sighed. _But, he shouldn't have done that, and he needs to know what he did was wrong. I don't want to be mad at him. I really don't, but…. UGH! I don't know what I feel! I feel enraged and betrayed and confused at what my father did, and I'm sad that my mom died, and I feel like shit, and all I want is for Natsu to come find me, wrap me up in his embrace and hold me close. But that won't happen. I yelled at him. I cried in front of him. I don't want him to feel guilty, but at the same time, I do! He shouldn't have done that! My father is my father! I can handle him! I just…I have no idea how I feel about anything anymore._

I stopped walking when I reached a clearing looking out onto a lake. There was a slab of concrete that reached all the way down to the water, and dragonflies were everywhere. One buzzed over to me, and I smiled, sticking my finger out, but it just flew away again. I walked down to the edge of the water and sat down, my body angled towards it.

I thought about all of the things I could do right then, in that moment. Right then, right there, there were infinite possibilities. I could stand right back up, go back to wherever that building was, and act like none of it had ever happened. I could find Natsu and cry in his arms. I could ignore my father and Natsu and just about everyone I'd previously loved for the rest of my life. I could fall into that water, right there, and never get back up. It would be so much easier, to just leave everything behind and let everyone else deal with the aftermath. But I knew I couldn't do that, that I wouldn't do that, no matter how much I wanted to. No matter how much I wanted to be rid of my life on Earth and all the complications and strings attached. But I wouldn't do that, because there was so much more to see in the world, and I wasn't about to end my time there before I experienced as much as I could, learned as much as I could.

I heard leaves rustling behind me and looked up to see Levy standing there. My heart sank. It wasn't like I wasn't happy to see Levy it's just…I hoped it would be Natsu to find me. It was the sort of thing he always did for me. The one thing I could count on him to always do.

"Hey," she said softly, walking over and sitting next to me.

"Hey," I replied. I picked up a stick and stuck it in the water, giving myself something to do, some reason to not look my childhood friend in the eye.

"I heard what happened." Levy sighed as if I were a child that had deeply disappointed her. "Lu, Natsu was only trying to help. You didn't have to yell. You know he lov-"

"I _do_ know! I _do_ know. I know that I love him, I know that he just might love me too, but I also know that what he did today was wrong. He should've let me deal with my father. While I realize that he was trying to help, he needs to realize that I am not some kind of abused little puppy, I am the top high school spy in the country, maybe the world, and I can handle my own father."

"Everyone needs to be an abused little puppy sometimes," Levy said, so quiet that I didn't quite hear her.

"What?" I asked.

Levy took a breath. "It's okay to feel conflicted right now Lu. It's okay to be upset and angry and sad and frustrated and just a little bit happy that your dad is alive, all at the same time. Feelings weren't made to be simple. I know it sucks, and I know that nobody else in this world could even _try_ to comprehend how you feel right now, but _I _know that pushing away people who are trying to help you is not getting you anywhere but more confused. I understand that it wasn't Natsu's place, but please, realize how much he loves you. I've never seen him as serious as he was when he ran to find you. In fact, that's the only time I've ever seen Natsu actually serious. He was so anxious to get out there and after you that we couldn't keep up. All he could think about you, and he could only hope that you were okay."

"I took care of myself. No help from him," I muttered.

"Lu, he knows how strong you are, but there is a chink in every piece of armor, and he's just trying to find it so that he can help you when something breaks. He's still figuring out how to deal with everything, too. He might not have gone through quite as much as you, but he's conflicted to. I mean, his headmaster, your father, the man who practically raised him, did something terrible to one of the only people Natsu loves. And his father was in on this, too." Levy put up her hands in defense. "Look, all I'm saying is that if you want him to consider your feelings, you have to consider his feelings, too." Levy stood up from her place on the slab of concrete and disappeared in the trees.

I sat there for what seemed like forever, thinking, crying, screaming, wanting to pull my hair out. It was getting dark, and I still didn't know what to do. I watched the fireflies come out. They glowed just over the surface of the water, dancing in their own light. One of the crept on to my hand, and I held it up to my face.

"Hey little guy," I whispered to him. "What do you think I should do?" The firefly jumped off of my hand and flew up into the sky, away from the others, and suddenly, I knew what I had to do.

* * *

**What do you think Lucy's going to do? Guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out... I know she might have seemed a little OOC for being mad at Natsu, but at the moment, all of Lucy's thoughts and feelings are jumbled up and she can't really make sense of anything, so she dealt with it by lashing out on Natsu when he was just trying to help. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter, and please follow, favorite, and REVIEW. (Sorry, didn't mean for that to seem so aggressive.) Lol, so yeah, please feel free to PM me, and review, and I'll see you with my next chapter some time soon!**


	14. Packing

**I Spy**

**LUCY**

Chapter Fourteen

I walked into the building, my face determined, looking straight ahead. People tried to talk to me, to ask where I was going, what I was doing, but I ignored them. I needed to talk to Igneel.

I spotted him from across the hall.

"Igneel," I said as I approached,"we need to talk."

He turned to me with a mildly surprised face before he seemed to reach an understanding. "Yes, I guess we do. Come on, I know where we won't be interrupted."

I followed my headmaster all the way to the end of the hallway, where he stopped in front of a window. He reached out, slid open the window, and climbed out onto the slant of the roof. His hand beckoned me to join him.

Once we were outside, we sat down. The sky was mostly dark, but there was the promise of a sunrise. I could barely see a few feet in front of myself, but the stars were beautiful. I silently went through all of the constellations that I could see. It made me sad, seeing the stars. They reminded me of my mom, and I realized that she was one of them. I wondered which one held her thoughts, inner workings, dreams, desires - her soul.

"Eh-hem," Igneel cleared his throat to get my attention, effectively ruining my train of thought. "What did you want to talk about?"

I took a deep breath. I knew what I had to do, I just had to actually do it.

"I want to transfer to another school."

Igneel coughed like he had choked on air. "W-what?"

"I want to transfer to another school," I repeated, not looking in his direction. If I did, I didn't know if I would be able to go through with everything. He had raised me, cared for me, visited me when I was hurt, taught me everything I knew, and loved me for most of my life. I didn't want to leave him, but I had to.

I could hear the resolve in his voice when he said,"I guess you want to attend your father's school? Natsu will probably be switching to mine, too, so it makes sense." Igneel stood to leave, but I tugged on his shirt sleeve when he passed me, to stop him.

"I don't want to transfer to my father's school. I want to go somewhere else. Preferably out of the country."

Igneel's eyes widened. "You can't-"

"I can. And I will," I stated firmly. By then, the sun was coming up, and it casted a light glow on Igneel's features.

"But-"

"Nothing you say will stop me. I've made my decision."

"Can I ask why?" Igneel sat back down next to me to hear my answer.

"I just, I need to get some perspective, and I can't do that here. I can't be by my father, or you, or…Natsu. I need to take some time to think everything through by myself. Here, I have no idea who I am. I don't know if I am my father's daughter, if I am your student, if I am Natsu's lover…. But, out there," I gestured to the world before us,"I'm Lucy. Just Lucy. I'm not Lucy here, at least not right now. Right now I'm confused and frustrated, sad and mourning, in love and hateful all at the same time. It's too much, so I need some perspective. I need to be Just Lucy for a little while."

I could tell Igneel was doing his best to understand me. "Alright, I'll arrange it. Start packing, you should be out of here by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," I said as I stood and climbed back inside through the window.

* * *

My suitcase was on top of my bed in my dorm room at Fairy Tail Academy, and I was about halfway into packing. I'd had someone drive me over a while before. I didn't tell anyone but Igneel that I was leaving, it would be easier for them that way. Especially Natsu. I didn't know if I could face him after choosing to leave.

I sighed and sat on my then bare mattress, taking a short break. Running my hands through my hair, I thought about everything that had happened in the last few weeks. I'd met Natsu, I'd been kidnapped and interrogated, escaped, shot, found out my father was still alive, found out my mom was really dead, found out my whole life up until then had been planned out and it was all some sort of sick game for my father, found out my headmaster was Natsu's father, my father had slapped me, Natsu had defended me, I had yelled at him and run away, and recently, I had decided to leave it all behind to find myself.

I heard the doorknob turn, but didn't look up until I heard someone walk in. Natsu stood just inside the room, looking dumbfounded.

"Natsu," I whispered. I suddenly flooded with guilt at the thought of leaving. How could I leave him? But at the same time, I was furious with him for making me want to stay.

He stumbled over to me as if he was witnessing something he never thought could happen.

"Luce? What's going on? Where are you going?" His eyes were like a puppy's, sweet and begging.

"I'm leaving, Natsu. I can't," my voice cracked. "I can't stay here anymore."

I turned my back on Natsu and continued packing, tears slowly creeping their way down my cheeks. Natsu put his hands on my shoulders suddenly, and I jumped. His arms made their way around my body, and he turned me around before enveloping me into a hug.

"Natsu," I breathed.

In response, Natsu pulled away before meeting his lips with mine in a passionate kiss. It was just so right, being there in his arms, tangling my fingers in his pink hair, his hands firmly on my hips. He pulled away only for a second, to take off his shirt. He continued to kiss me, tracing my jaw line, and moving down to my collar bone. I pulled my shirt off, and fell back onto the bed. Natsu fell on top of me, and kissed every inch of me before reaching underneath me to unlatch the clasps of my bra. He pulled it off effortlessly, and I started to wonder if he'd done that before.

"Natsu," I said softly, but he persisted, kissing me on the lips. "Natsu," I said again, this time more firm.

"What?" he asked, confused. He looked down at me and for the first time he registered what was going on, and his cheeks flushed in color. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered as he covered his eyes and felt around for his shirt.

I put my bra and my shirt back on before giving Natsu the "okay" to turn back around.

"I'm really sorry, Luce. It just sort of took over, and I couldn't stop and-" I could see in his eyes that he was sorry, so I stopped him by holding up my hand.

"There's no need to be sorry. It was just as much my fault as it was yours, maybe even more. I'm leaving Natsu, and if we had…continued and then I left, you would be heart-broken, and I don't want to break your heart Natsu. Or, I wouldn't be able to leave, and I…I have to leave."

I turned back to my packing, starting to just throw things in without folding them.

"I'm going to be heart-broken anyway!" Natsu's strong arms whipped me around once again. "I'm going to be heart-broken anyway because I love you, Luce. I love you." He said it like a weight had been lifted. "So, I can't let you leave. I can't let you leave because I love you. You're kind, and smart, and spirited, and skilled, and just breathtakingly beautiful in everything you do. You're the only one for me. You're my match, Luce. So you can't leave. You can't leave me alone."

"But I can't stay, Natsu," I said, pushing him away so that I could walk to the bathroom and grab my toiletries. He followed close behind.

"Why can't you stay? Why am I not enough?" His voice was strained.

I whipped around, making Natsu stop abruptly before he crashed into me. "I can't stay because I love you too! I can't stay, because if I do, that means I won't really be with you! I'm not me right now, Natsu, and if I stay, you'll never know the real me, and the real me will never know you! But the real me loves you, and I can't just keep it in a box in my mind, I have to find it again! Right now, I'm not Lucy. I'm not me, and I want you to love _me_, not the person that I am right now. I can't be me here, not with my father, and your dad, and the memory of my mom everywhere. I need, I need time, Natsu. I need-" I started sobbing, and Natsu rapped his arms around me, pulling me close as we slid to the floor.

"Shhh, shhhh, it's okay. It's okay. Everything will be okay," he whispered into my hair as he rested his head on mine.

"I just-" I sobbed again. "I need you, Natsu, but-" _Sob._ "But I can't have you without being me, and-" _Sob._ "I can't be me with my father here."

Natsu continued to comfort me, and when my eyes had run dry, he pulled away and looked me in the eyes.

"I think I have an idea. Do you trust me?"

I nodded.

"Okay, then. Don't leave before I get back."

* * *

**So, there was some serious steam in that chapter. Sorry for anyone who doesn't like that. And for everyone who did like that, you're welcome? I hadn't really planned on that, but it just kind of made sense considering their emotional stand-points and all. Anyway, I hope you liked it regardless. What do you think Natsu is planning to do? He better have a good idea. Who am I kidding? I know what he's going to do! Well, for the most part. Hehe. Well, please follow, favorite, review, and read the next chapter when I post it!**


	15. Thinking

**I Spy**

**NATSU**

Chapter Fifteen

What did I just say? I told Lucy that I had a plan, but I had no idea what I was doing. I needed to find a way to make her stay - and fast.

All I knew was that I had an impossible task set out before me. I knew that Lucy didn't want to be around her father, or my father, or anywhere that reminded her of her mother. But I also knew that I had just gotten my father back, and I didn't want to give him up just yet.

It really was impossible.

I was sitting outside of the building that I'd woken up no more than - what? A day ago? The same building where Lucy had been interrogated. The same place where she got that scar on her face. The same place where her father showed up to tell her that her mother really was dead. The same place that held so many bad memories for her.

I looked up at the sky as a drop of rain fell on my head. I really was hopeless, even Mother Nature thought so.

I heard someone walking my way, and I glanced a look to see who it was. Erza.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked, sitting before I could give her an answer. That was so like her.

"What do you want?" I mumbled. As glad as I was to see my friend, I was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to help with my Lucy issues.

"I want to help. I heard Lucy was trying to leave, and I assumed that you were going to try to stop her?" She looked at me, expecting me to concede and tell her that I _had _tried to make her stay. Or, I _was trying_ to make her stay.

I sighed. "Yeah, you're exactly right."

"So?" she asked. "What did you tell her? Is she going to stay?" Erza looked hopeful. I guessed she and Lucy had gotten closer than I originally thought.

"I told her that I had a plan." I ran a hand through my hair, defeated.

"Well? What's your plan?"

"I don't have one?" Erza leaned over and smacked me on the head.

She folded her arms across her chest, looking serious. "Hmph. We better come up with something soon, or she'll leave."

"We?" I asked. Now I was the hopeful one - hopeful that Erza would help me.

"Yeah, we're friends right?" I nodded. "And friends help each other in a crisis!" she added matter-of-factly.

* * *

Erza and I eventually met of with Gray for another brain on the subject. None of us could think of much of anything other that me leaving with Lucy, but that wouldn't work because my father was here.

"I honestly don't know what to do, man. Maybe you should just let her have some time on her own?" Gray suggested, tired of thinking so much.

"No!" I stood up suddenly. "I can't just let her leave me! I love her!"

"Exactly," Gray said, as if it was obvious. "If you love her like you say you do, shouldn't you want her to do what she wants?"

I stood there staring at Gray. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was right to let Lucy leave. No. No, no, no, no-

"No! She doesn't want to leave me! She told me that herself. She wants to be with me, but she can't stand being around things that remind her of her old life."

Gray smiled at me. "I guess you really do love her. I'm happy for you two." He stood up and walked over to the door. We were back in our dorm room from Fairy Tail Academy.

"Wait, where are you going? I need your help!" Gray just smirked as the door closed behind him. It was making me really annoyed.

"What am I going to do?" I asked Erza. There was no answer. I looked around, but she was nowhere to be found. "Oh, come on, guys!"

* * *

I walked around the grounds, thinking back to the day I met Lucy. I remembered thinking about how cute she was. I blushed at the memory. I walked by the fountain where I was sitting when Levy told me that Lucy was gone. And I walked by her dorm where we watched movies and made out. The timeline was a bit messed up, but they were all memories of her, and even though we'd only know each other for a couple of weeks, I couldn't imagine myself without her. I guess it seemed pretty stupid, like I was rushing into my feelings for her, but I'd never felt that way about anyone before.

Finally, I stopped at the place where I had yelled at Lucy the last time I saw her before she was kidnapped. Before everything got really bad. Before everything got really complicated. I sank to the ground, my back against the wall. I didn't care that I was sitting in the middle of the hallway, all I cared about was Lucy.

I thought about when I asked her out. I hadn't meant to, but I was so glad that I did. Fate was weird that way. Sometimes it made you do things you didn't mean to, just to end up the way it wanted you to. Seemed like cheating to me.

I thought about the first time we kissed, and how her lips tasted on mine. I thought about all her weird quirks, and how I found them so cute, and how she accepted mine too. I thought about what we almost did in her dorm room and started blushing. I was glad that she stopped us. I didn't think we were ready for anything too serious yet. Not with everything else going on. I thought about why she would want to leave. I thought about what it would be like if she left me. I wondered if she would visit me-

"I've got it!" I exclaimed to the empty hallway.

* * *

I ran all the way to Lucy's dorm, pushing people out of my way. I hoped she wasn't gone already. I hoped she hadn't left. I had finally figured out a solution, and if she left before she could hear me out…. No, I decided not to let myself think like that. Lucy wouldn't leave without hearing me out. She wouldn't leave me, not anymore, because I knew what to do. She trusted me to come back with a solution, so she wouldn't leave, not without hearing it. Not without trying to fix things. We had a way to fix things, and all she had to do was agree. So she was waiting there for me, she had to be. She would be sitting on her bed, reading one of her favorite books, waiting for me to burst through the door with the answer… or so I thought.

* * *

**So, I'm really sorry that I haven't written in so long. Some stuff happened at home, and my heart just wasn't in it. I knew that if I wrote and my heart wasn't in it, it would be terrible and I would let you all down. But I'm sorry that it took so long. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter! I know that there is more to be resolved, but that will all happen in due time. Please, share your opinion in the reviews, or just PM me. If you have a question, I promise to reply. So... until next time. (I'll try not to make you wait as long as last time.) :)**


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